A look back at 2013 in the Downers Grove area

To allow or not to allow Downers Grove resident to keep chickens as pets proved a hugely contentious debate among residents and village officials. (Dawn Rhodes, Chicago Tribune)

Downers Grove and nearby towns saw their share of quirky, controversial and tragic news in 2013, from hotly contested village policies to a freak accident that took the life of a high school senior. In no particular order, here is a look back at some of the events, issues and people that shaped 2013 in southern DuPage County.

Storm causes flooding

Record rain storms on April 17 and 18 caused massive flooding throughout the state.

Hundreds of Downers Grove residents and business owners reported flooding in their basements and ground floors, power was knocked out to thousands of customers, according to ComEd. The flooding started a fire in the basement of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital and knocked out power to a surgical unit and to Peace Memorial Manor. Village officials said that rain overloaded the storm water system, causing the flooding. Gov. Pat Quinn sought and received federal disaster funding for several affected counties throughout the state, including DuPage County.

In the following weeks, residents voiced complaints at committee and council meetings, saying that several areas of the storm water infrastructure have been problematic for years but officials failed to properly address them. In response, the village conducted a study to identify areas that needed to be added to the village's planned improvement list. More than $9.5 million of system upgrades are planned for 2014, according to budget documents.

Downers Grove officials also voted in May to allow the village manager to waive building permit fees for home owners rebuilding because of flood damage.

Darien cymbal player goes viral

A 13-year-old eighth-grader in Darien became a Internet sensation after some quick thinking saved him from an embarrassing moment during a school concert.

Andrew Pawelczyk and his bandmates at Eisenhower Junior High School in Darien were playing the Star-Spangled Banner during a concert in May when the strap on Andrew's right cymbal broke right as the kids reached the climax of the song. Unable to continue, Andrew decided to salute the flag while the band finished the anthem.

Andrew said that he always was taught patriotism from a young age so saluting the flag felt natural. Millions watched the YouTube video filmed by his mother and Andrew was interviewed on multiple national media outlets.

Churches protest storm water utility

Members of the religious community repeatedly railed against Downers Grove's new storm water fee as an unconstitutional tax.

The storm water utility began in January. Instead of using a portion of property taxes to fund the storm water infrastructure, the village now charges all property owners a fee based on the amount of water their land offshoots into the waterways. Church officials have said that they plan to bring experts before the council to bolster their case to not pay the fee.

Pierce Downer expands

District 58 completed a three-classroom addition to Pierce Downer Elementary School in August, relieving years of tight spaces and overcrowding. District officials said enrollment was higher in the 2013-14 school year than in several previous years. Parents and administrators complained that teachers occasionally had to teach in hallways because of the lack of space. The $1.5 million renovation added three classrooms for first- and second-grade students. The school also received new furniture, an art and music room, and a remodeled library as part of the upgrades.

Ogden Avenue grant program canceled

Downers Grove officials eschewed an incentive program created to help beautify the businesses and landscapes of Ogden Avenue. The village created the Ogden Avenue Site Improvement Strategy in 2010, setting aside a pool of money businesses within the Ogden tax-increment financing district could apply for then use to upgrade the facades of their buildings. The council unanimously voted to repeal the program in August. The village said the program spurred more than $1 million in private development but thousands of dollars in grants expired, never to be put toward improvements.

Downers Grove teen struck by lightning

Jennie Dizon was struck by lightning and killed May 30 while she was sitting in a park near her home. Dizon, 17, was killed three days before she was due to graduate from Benet Academy in Lisle. Jennie's friends and family said the teen, fond of bright clothes and makeup, planned to attend the University of Cincinnati in the fall to study theater production. Benet Academy officials honored Jennie in a short tribute at the school's June 2 graduation, which the Dizon family briefly attended.